Thousands
had been drawn to a remote Belgian village to see a glowing statue of
the Madonna. While mysterious, the reason behind the statue's glow has
since been found. A team of scientists from the science faculty at Liege
University found that the statue was glowing in the dark because it had
been covered with paint containing zinc sulphide.

The statue, which is about a foot high, represents the "Virgin of Banneux," from the name of a nearby village where a young girl was said to have witnessed an appearance by the Virgin in 1933.

The statue began glowing in mid-January. Police had to control crowds in the village of Jalhay, near Liege who were eager to touch the figure. The statue reportedly began to glow in the kitchen of an elderly couple's home.

Over 500 people visited the house in one day, eager to pay homage to it.

Four visitors to the statue claimed that they had been cured of physical disabilities after being in the presence of the Madonna.

The Bishop of Liege sent church officials to investigate the phenomenon. Local Catholic authorities remained cautious about claiming for definite whether there was a natural or religious explanation for the statue's luminescence.

The statue, which is about a foot high, represents the "Virgin of Banneux," from the name of a nearby village where a young girl was said to have witnessed an appearance by the Virgin in 1933.

The town is a pilgrim destination in largely Catholic Belgium. Catholic authorities from the Banneux sanctuary had expressed caution about the "glowing" Virgin.

The glowing Madonna will now be moved to a local church so pilgrims can continue to see it.